23 Jan 2012

Collymore slams 'foreign CURSE' on the English game. Xenophobia?

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has launched a scathing attack on the foreign players in English football, arguing that they brought the 'curse' of diving into the English game.

In his column weekly column for The People, Collymore attacked Man City Manager Roberto Mancini's 'pathetic card-waving antics', and insisted that 'the Italian needs to be stopped before this nasty disease begins to spread'.

Collymore then continued his rant by attacking the 'curse' of 'foreign players':

"Foreign players brought the curse of diving into our game – Jurgen Klinsmann, one of the biggest culprits, even had the cheek to sprawl across the turf when he scored.

"Eventually English players also began diving and I don’t want us to get to a situation where Mancini’s card trick is accepted".


Collymore's comments are, IMO, unacceptably xenophobic - you just have to see the emotive language and metaphorical associations to realise that:

* 'Italian...nasty disease'
* 'Foreign players....curse'.

Diving existed before 'Foreign players' were prevalent in the English game, but it just wasn't publicised as much. The explosion of the internet, multiple-camera sports broadcasting, and 24-7 news means that every aspect of football is scrutinised instantly in real time, especially things like diving.

And let's not kid ourselves - some of the worst divers in the Premier League are Brits. For example, Wayne Rooney is (IMO) the worst diver in the entire league; He's been booked several times for diving in the past and he even admitted to deliberately cheating once.

I've catalogued Rooney's cheating many times, and he was at it again during the Arsenal game on Sunday, but I don't hear Collymore having a go at him.

As much as we hate to admit it, Steven Gerrard is another British player with a history of diving, but you never hear pundits or the press question him.

Whether it's attacking 'foreign' managers or blaming all the ills of the game on 'foreign. players, xenophobia is rife in the English game, and it's disappointing to see high profile ex-players fanning the flames.

All views are welcome, but any comments referencing Collymore's past will be deleted. What he did in the past is irrelevant to his current views on football.

Jaimie Kanwar


16 comments:

  1. From the Guardian:

    As Andy Carroll went through his full repertoire on Saturday – comedy air-swipes, club-footed first touches, flick-ons to no one in particular – David Ngog was giving the perfect exhibition of unselfish forward play for Bolton. The former Liverpool striker held the ball up, brought team-mates into play and was a constant source of irritation to Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel.None of that suggests that Liverpool would be better off with Ngog up front than the £35m travesty they're currently lumbered with. For all of his good work, Ngog mostly found himself playing with his back to goal and rarely looked like scoring.

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  2. I had intended on referencing his past Jamie but your probably right not to allow it. 
    What I will say however, Is that for a man who had so much to say about the whole racism issue where does he get off blaming "foreigners" 
    It reminds me of the other clubs fans saying liverpool are a racist club. Clubs arent racist. People are racist it just depends where these people decide to show their disgraceful opinions. like that foreigners dont dive Footballers Dive!

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  3. Oh my "Puki Mak". Colly must be living in the stone age, secluded from the rest of the world. Globalisation and borderless world are alien to him.

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  4. Gerrard and Rooney are some of the worse divers around in PL, although Suarez is in a league of his own, I am ashamed to say.

    Most of the foreign lads in PL aren't as prolific as some of the British lot!The likes of City's Franny Lee back in the old days were diving. 

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  5. Collymore is not white, so as is policy in this country he is allowed to get away with xenophobic comments all he wants. It's only one way traffic, didn't you know?

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  6. G'day Jamie, can you tell me if I have affended anyone with my comments in the past,that have prompted you to delete them now/since ??? 

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  7. Colly doesn't know that Rooney is English player!

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  8. Good post, I really like that just tell it how it is, regardless.

    I agree. 

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  9. What's up with you....are you thick or are you an alien..do you understand your own comments

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  10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=J_KgV5f55Qg#t=30s
    Funny clip from 1970's

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  11. colly is clearly losing his marbles, if hes not being racist then i dont know wat it is..........oh hold on.........there not black

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  12. I would hardly say Gerrard is one of the worst. I mean he has had some ridiculous ones over the years but there are worse.

    That doesn't excuse him, but you've got to be accurate.

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  13. I think it is best limiting people going on about his past but it is worth noting considering how often Collymoore wades in to moral debates, also with a sense of righteousness that he doesn't really deserve.

    You're spot on here though Jaimie, xenophobic crap. Particularly galling to see Collymoore 'fanning the flames', as you put it, after his, morally justified, no tolerance position on racism. This just stirs up the same kind of misguided hatred as prejudice based on race- they're both warped fears of 'other'.

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  14. Meanwhile the Geordie Donkey and the Blackpool Donkey offered nothing but the occasional bray...

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  15. Of course it is xenophobic nonsense. But then football coverage has become increasingly xenophobic here for some time now. The whole Mancini card waving business was over the top, when you compare it to the whining from English players and managers that is ignored or even supported in the press.

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  16. Xenophobic like say.... only buying Brit crap bcuz you think the team should have a british spine??? ... now how does that sound like???

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